Three successive annual GENOME MAPPING, SEQUENCING AND BIOLOGY MEETINGS (scheduled for May of 1999, 2000, and 2001) will be held at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and will draw together the major practitioners in the field of genome research. In the tradition of Cold Spring Harbor meetings, new discoveries in the field will be emphasized. Major areas for discussion and presentations will include developments and progress in genome mapping, DNA sequencing, computational genomics, genome analysis in model organisms, human genetic diseases, and other topics highly relevant to the ongoing genome project. Last year the name of the meeting was changed to reflect the increasing impact of genomics on biological studies generally-and this was reflected in two meeting sessions that emphasized functional genomics. Each meeting will include 6 platform sessions (typically with 8 speakers each, 1 poster symposium session, 3 poster sessions, 2-3 projection-style computer demonstration sessions, and 1 keynote speaker session. Each session will be co-chaired by 2 established investigators in the field, who together with the organizers will establish the format of each session based on the submitted abstracts. Particular attention will be paid to encourage activation participation by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and new investigators as well as the attendance by leading scientists in the field. As with the previous 11 conferences, it is anticipated that the proposed meetings will provide unique opportunities for the exchange of data, ideas, and experiences in the various subdisciplines of genome research. The meetings will be international in nature, with an anticipated yearly attendance of 400-450 investigators.